The United States Department of Justice has asked the federal judge in the State of Florida, handling the case against former Colombian soldier Mario Antonio Palacios who was voluntarily extradited to the United States last January https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35640-haiti-flash-palacio-extradited-to-the-usa-first-official-indictment-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html ) accused of having participated in the assassination plot of President Jovenel Moïse https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html , to take steps to protect (under the CIPA Classified Information Procedures Act) certain classified information shared with the defense, which could become evidence in this case, from being made public to the court.

The request, which was granted, reinforces the suspicions of a still unknown link between the assassination of President Moïse and the alleged role of agents or informants of the American Government.

While such a request is not unusual, an evidence protection order is "revealing of a source with intelligence ties or an accused with ties to intelligence information that could be exculpatory or incriminating," said David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor.

Richard Gregorie, another former federal prosecutor who has led several cases involving US government informants, agrees and confirms that this decision "means that there is evidence that includes classified information."

According to Jake Johnston, a Haitian-born observer from the Center for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR) in Washington, "This request [by the US Government] once again raises questions about what, precisely, the United States has done in Haiti and what information they might have regarding the plot to assassinate the President."

Additionally, according to court documents, due to the "unusual and complex" nature of the ongoing investigation, the government prosecutor also requested a postponement of Palacios' trial due to "the need for the parties to participate in certain processes related to classified information."

To be continued…

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36347-haiti-flash-former-colombian-soldier-mario-antonio-palacios-pleads-not-guilty-in-the-usa.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35886-haiti-assassination-moise-hearing-postponed-to-march-4-palacios-will-plead-not-guilty-in-the-usa.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35867-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35696-haiti-flash-palacios-confessed-that-the-final-plan-was-to-assassinate-the-president-of-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35640-haiti-flash-palacio-extradited-to-the-usa-first-official-indictment-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html

SL/ HaitiLibre